Almost stitched up!!

Good afternoon

According to the forecast its supposed to be warmer here today - my bones don't agree and I'm writing this post in between mugs of tea and dashes around the house trying to get some little jobs finished and too keep warm.

Its been a heck of a week - my 'dear' husband had to go delivering this week and his route took up the country via the Lakes and over the border into Scotland. As everyone knows and of course so many have seen, the weather up there has been awful. He was very lucky - apart from a few delays he managed to complete all his drops over the three days and get home just 1/2 an hour later than he expected last night!! I didn't let on whilst he was away but I was so worried that he'd get stuck or have an accident - quite glad to have him home again.

I've been trying hard this week to get some festive preparations sorted and have so far managed to cross some essentials from my list - I've been to the butchers to order something for Christmas Lunch and finally written my christmas cards and also hunted out pressies which have been bought & made to make sure I hadn't forgotten anyone!! Oh and I finished little sons wrist warmers - am so glad its been dull otherwise I might have had to wear sunglasses to knit these!!

He loves them and now wants a scarf to match - least they'll never get lost or stolen!!

When I sorted out the pressies I was pleased to see how many I'd managed to make - mainly for the females in my family;

For my not-so-secret-sibling-santa-swap

For my Mum

For one niece

This is for my youngest niece - she's getting a mini sewing machine from Father Christmas so I've made her a starter kit (based loosely on a giveaway win I had earlier this year from Lissylou). A thrifted jar filled with ribbons, cotton, a patchwork pin cushion, buttons, pins and 3 pretty FQs.

Even for my oldest niece who is far more interested in gadgets, I've managed to find something on her list that I wanted to buy - a beginners knitting book :)

Right my hands are getting cold - time to find another job to warm them up.

Quite a busy weekend ahead - brass engagements, a christmas party and then on Sunday the menfolk are helping MIL move house. My role in that is providing meals!!

See you Sunday for a 3rd Pause in Advent.

xxx Vicki xxx

Festive finishes & new handsome fella!!

Good afternoon

Have you got snow?? Nothing here in Suffolk - just sunshine & its very cold.

Am wrapped up today like a russian doll - so many layers. Have resorted to wearing my old Ugg boots as slippers as my feet are so cold :(

Its been a fairly quiet week - sort of calm before the festive storm starts to hit this weekend. Brass engagements for little son & MrVV - think it will be time to hunt the thermals out for them.

I'll managed to finish my festive WIP's;

 Mum's Christmas pressie - a snuggling on the sofa quilt

Its little hand sewn label

Knitted 'paper' chains

The reality uncropped shot with my cluttered kitchen dresser!!

Usually each week I visit all 4 of the charity shops in town at least once - recently I've not found much. But this week has been very successful - a couple of additions to my wardrobe - a NoaNoa beret for just £1 and a gorgeous green sweater for another couple of pounds. I was very pleased the other day to find this handsome fella in our church shop for just 20p!!

Hopefully over the next few weeks I'll be lucky enough to find some more festive additions to the house.

Right off now to try & keep warm. I must get my decoration swap parcel wrapped today and possibly even my SS one too.

Keep warm & I'll see you soon.

xxx Vicki xxx

A knitted christmas and special party

Good evening

Where has the past week gone? It seems to have slipped by in a mix of fog and festive making. I've managed to finish the scarf for my niece;

Had just enough leftover yarn to add pockets to keep small hands warm on cold winter mornings.

The other day whilst I browsing through blogland I spotted an idea on another blog that I knew I wanted to copy. For ages the idea has been in my mind to knit some 'paper'chains - when I saw some on The Blueberry Patch that Sarah had made some, it gave me the kick I needed too;

Since the photo was taken the chain has grown - another 2 to make tonight & it will be 20 chains long - plenty to string across my kitchen dresser :)

Yesterday was a very special day in the family calendar - it was my Grandma's 85th birthday. We decided this year it was easier to bring the party to her than for her to travel. We ganged together making cakes/scones/sausage rolls and lots of nibbles. Her cupboards were raided for vintage china and a very lovely afternoon tea was laid on;

The birthday girl & her daughter (my Mum). This picture shows where I get my lovely of clutter and heaps of stuff from ;)

It was one of those rare occasions where all 5 cousins were together and they posed briefly for a quick photo - very hard to get 5 faces all looking 'normal' at once!!

Today I've been very busy - I remembered I'd promised to make my Mum a patchwork throw for Christmas, so I've been busy cutting out squares/rectangles and piecing them together - am glad Mum asked for a random patched quilt rather than one that has all the corners perfectly matched up!!.  110 squares later the top is finished - just the fiddly bit of attaching it to its fleece backing and then binding the edges left to do. Hoping to get more done tomorrow and then I can take some photos.

I see from the weather forecast we are promised some sleet/snow later in the week - just in time for MrVV's first Christmas band engagement!!

Off to watch SCD - am hoping its Goodbye to Ann tonight, last nights 'effort' was just awful.

See you soon

xxx Vicki xxx

Show & Tell Sunday

Josie-Mary is running a new theme - Show & Tell Sunday's - once a month she'll choose a theme and we get to do a school style show & tell :)

This month the theme is a favourite cosy space.  There is no contest in my house as to which space this is - anyone coming here for the first time would be able to spot where Vicki spends lots of time ;)

This spot is the corner of our kitchen - we're lucky that this room is big (one of the reasons I like this house).  When we viewed the house I could instantly see there would be room for a sofa in the kitchen something I'd always wanted.  The dresser is built in - and again I could see the cupboards would be great for my collection of vintage china & other clutter.  Look closely at the picture and you can see other signs of me - patchwork quilt & cushions, a granny blanket, my knitting basket, a CK bag, a sewing box, a pile of books & magazines, a jug of spring flowers, lots of daggly 'dust-catchers', some bunting and last but not least the square I'm currently knitting for my blanket.

Off out into the real world today - going over the border to visit friends in Essex.

Looking forward to seeing what others post later.

xxx Vicki xxx

Am still playing with the blog and its layout and also all the different functions - so far so good and no need to call my smarty pants teenage son to come and help me.

Pictured up there ^^^ is my latest patchwork quilt - think its my 4th one now. I love making these - they are no quite perfect but this one is the best yet.

Think over the next few weeks I'll be gradually adding more pictures of things I've made and places we've been too.